Thanksgiving

This really is my favorite holiday time of the year. It's not my favorite time of the year because it's too cold. But the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays are my favorites.

I find it interesting to see the thanksgiving messages that crop up on social media during the month. Their sincerity is obvious and I do not judge them at all for the messages. In fact, I think it's good for us to have a special reminder to be grateful. Gratitude should and must be a Christian trait.

Jesus healed ten lepers one day. He didn't have to, but that was just the way He was. They stood back and warned Him of their leprosy. But Jesus touched the untouchables. He told them to show themselves to the priest. The Scripture says that as they went away they were praising God in a loud voice. You can imagine that can't you? Praising God, after all, is good. Only one of them, however, came and thanked Jesus. Interestingly enough, he was a Samaritan, a half-breed. Praising God--good. Thanking God--better.

Let us remember to ever thankful. Jesus calls us to never be in a place where we can't thank Him, even in the most dire of circumstances. I read a story of Corrie Ten Boom in the German concentration camps of World War II. Their beds were infested with lice making it uncomfortable to live, let alone to sleep. Because of the lice, the German soldiers did not do the horrible things to the women that are often associated with war. Corrie Ten Boom talks about their gratitude for the lice. Be thankful for everything....even if it's lice.

Enjoy the season. Don't let the gratitude end with the Thanksgiving meal. Be thankful every day!